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Colnago V2-R, the top-shelf Italian monocoque road bike revamped

Colnago V2r rim brake
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Colnago V2r rim brake

Colnago has just released an updated monocoque frameset of their top-shelf road race bike. Building on the success of the previous generation Conlnago V1-R, the new V2-R uses the same premium grades of high modulus carbon, but increases stiffness with an all new optimized layup. The newest iteration again brings two braking options to suit all riders, and keeps tire clearance to 28mm for both. Rim brake versions revise the location of their direct-mount calipers, while the disc bake version now uses flat mounts. Jump past the break for more info on this Italian stallion…

Colnago V2r black Colnago V2r Arabesque

While their flagship C-60 continues to use tube-to-tube carbon lugged construction, the V2-R opts for a monocoque design for lighter overall weight. The monocoque V2-R uses quite a bit fewer individual carbon pieces to keep weight down, and is actually produced in Taiwan both to keep costs down of for the repeatability of the individual plies that the industry has built up there.

Colnago V2r white Colnago V2r black red

It is still a lightweight Colnago though, and doesn’t come cheap. A frameset will retail for €2900 (or $4400), while the red complete option seen at top with a Campagnolo Super Record mechanical gruppo commands a healthly €9000 price tag. The V2-R will be offered in several different color options,  as well as a throw-back black with gold pin striping Arabesque motif.

Colnago V2r cable routing internal Colnago v2r seat post clamp detail

Cable routing is simplified with the internal routed cables entering the frame on top of the downtube, just behind the headtube, similar to the Concept. Mechanics should be pleased to see the V2-R’s rear brake on the seatstays, instead of under the BB like the V1-R. Other small tweaks include an integrated seat post clamp and a redesigned, squared-off headtube junction.

Colnago v2r thread fit 82.5 bb86 bottom bracket TF82

On the V2-R Colnago has kept their unique ThreadFit 82.5 bottom bracket interface (sorry, but I refuse to call it a “standard”.) This design uses an oversize bore with thread-in adapters that resize it to accept a press fit 86.5 (BB86) bearing set. With this, Colnago promises the enhanced rigidity of larger diameter bottom brackets, with the quiet reliability of a threaded BSA bottom bracket. Compared to the V1-R frame, the V2-R weighs the same (835g) but BB rigidity has increased 13% and the headtube claims to be 4% stiffer.

Colnago VR2 disc flat mount thru axle

Disc versions of the V2-R will set you back a couple hundred € or $ more, and add just over 100g. They now utilize 12mm thru-axles front & rear for more wheel compatibility.

Geometry on both brake setups is the same, with the V2-R available in eight sizes from a tiny 42cm up to a sloping 58cm (each measured in from center of BB to the centerline of the sloping toptube.) The V2-R will be available late July/early August as a frameset or several complete build options.

Colnago.com

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VeloKitty
VeloKitty
6 years ago

Sorry, but if they are going to get my €, they need to bump up the front center distance by about 1 cm. I don’t want to worry about smacking my toes against the front wheel around every low speed turn.

VeloKitty
VeloKitty
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

p.s. It’s like tire sized have increased the last few years, but frame designers have forgotten to bump up the front centre distance.

Douglas McSaladbath
Douglas McSaladbath
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

Yeah because on $10,000 race bikes, low speed turns are exactly what they are concerned with the most, in terms of performance.

VeloKitty
VeloKitty
6 years ago

Sorry, but you’re clueless. Racers are not the target market of this bike. They don’t have $10,000 to spend on a bike.

Bazz
Bazz
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

Yeah, there must be a lot of dentists, doctors and lawyers out there. Every day another super expensive $10,000 road or MTB bike is announced.

Douglas McSaladbath
Douglas McSaladbath
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

My point was no bikes are designed with low speed circles in mind. Anyone who is short or anyone with large feet deals with toe overlap, its not a big problem.

VeloKitty
VeloKitty
6 years ago

> My point was no bikes are designed with low speed circles in mind.

Baloney.

And if this bike isn’t designed for slow speed turns, why the overly short wheelbase? The truth is that adding 20 mm to the wheelbase isn’t going to dull handling by any detectable amount, and it fixes the toe overlap issue.

matt
matt
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

or you could just turn with your feet at 12 and 6 like a normal person.

jim
jim
6 years ago

ill only accept 5% stiffer. 4% is definitely not enough! 😉

Flatbiller
Flatbiller
6 years ago

Hmmm, the curves near the BB and DT junction are reminiscent of a few bikes I’ve seen in the past 10 years. Also, those chainstays look very similar to some Cannondales, BMCs, and at least four Giant models. If you squint, that top tube, especially the middle portion, looks sort of like a Domane, and if you turn it just right, more like the S5. From a certain angle and in the right light, the head tube looks like a Tarmac, but in super-bright light, more like a Roubaix.

(Okay, I’m done. Just wanted to get the useless “This bike looks like the… ” post out of the way.)

Rapha
Rapha
6 years ago

Are “disc bakes” a new industry standard?

Oz
Oz
6 years ago

Colnago*

Shafty
Shafty
6 years ago

Can they stop calling it Italian? They’ll wear out their own cache.

I get that quality is just fine, but call a duck a duck. They design bikes, not manufacture them.

VeloKitty
VeloKitty
6 years ago

You’re entitled to your opinion, but I’m entitled to vote with my money by not purchasing this frame, even it is gorgeous otherwise. Lot’s of our rides end up doing a few short sections on dirt at slow speed, and toe overlap is a concern for me. Cannondale seems to have gotten it right with their new Synapse.

Robin
Robin
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

A Synapse isn’t exactly directly comparable to this bike. The better comparison would be. a SuperSix EVO. In any case, no bike works for everyone. Fortunately, there’s more than one bike manufacturer in the world.

Jungle
Jungle
6 years ago
Reply to  VeloKitty

Race bike = V2-R; Century Geometry bike = Synapse. They are both bikes but two totally different markets.

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